Love makes a house a home
by Fanficwriter22
Summary: A/U A new girl, Ashley, comes to the Fosters family. She has a history. Warning: Mentions of rape
1. I need a home

A woman came walking towards me. She said I was going to live with her for a while. Until they had found me another home. She held out her hand and said.  
>''I'm Lena.''<br>''I'm Ashley.'' I reply. Together we walk to her car and put my stuff in the trunk. It is Saturday so I assume it is her day off. She seems nice. Once we were in the car she asks me  
>''Tell me something about yourself.''<br>''I'm 17. I love animals, the beach, going for a run, swimming.'' I say.  
>''My wife does too, maybe you could run with her. She always wants me to come alone but I have a terrible condition.''<br>With that the conversation was over and an awkward silence followed.  
>When we are at the house I get out and get my suitcase. I follow Lena into the house. We go into the kitchen and I see a blonde woman reading a magazine. She looks up and says ''Hi.''<br>''Hi.'' I say back  
>''I'm Stef.''<br>''Ashley.''  
>''So would you like something to drink?'' She asks me. She seems sweet.<br>''Water.'' I reply. I notice Lena is gone. A few moments later she comes in followed by 5 other kids.  
>''Ashley this is, Mariana, Jude, Brandon, Callie and Jesus.'' Lena says.<br>''Hi.'' I say a bit uncomfortable.  
>''Let's sit down.'' Stef says and she is the first one to sit down. The others follow and I decide to sit down too. I sit in between Jesus and Stef.<br>''Let's go around the table, you have to say something about yourself, just like you did when I first got here.'' Callie suggest.

''I'll start.'' Lena says, ''I'm a vice principal at school.''  
>''I love playing piano.'' Brandon says.<br>''I'm in the dance team at school.'' Mariana says.  
>''I aced my grammar test today.'' Jude says proud.<br>''I love photography.'' Callie says

''I have a girlfriend named Hayley.'' Jesus says.  
><em> Now it's my turn. What do I say.<em> I think.  
>''I love swimming and going for a run.'' I say a bit ashamed that I couldn't find a better answer.<br>''I'm a cop.'' Stef says. That's when we have all said something.  
>''Anyone wants to share anything?'' Stef asks.<br>''I do.'' I say and I see Stef looking at me a bit surprised.  
>''I get that I'm new and you don't know anything about me,'' I start saying. I'm look at the piece of paper that I'm playing with in my hands.<br>''but if you want to know anything about me, feel free to ask.'' I continue. It's not fully true but I've told the lie about the last few years of my life so many times that it almost starts feeling like the truth.

''Where are you from?'' I hear Mariana ask.  
>''I was born in France but after 4 years we moved to the sates.'' I say, glad I don't have to lie after the past few years yet.<br>''So you speak French and English?'' Jude asks.  
>''And Dutch, German.'' I admit.<br>'' Je m'appelle Jesus. That's correct right?''Jesus asks.  
>''Yeah it is.'' And a small smile appears on my face when I hear Jude and Mariana trying to say it too.<br>''Can you say something in all those languages?'' Jude asks.  
>''Sure what would you like me to say?'' I ask.<br>''Hello, I'm Mariana.'' Mariana says.  
>''Hallo ik ben Mariana. That's Dutch.<br>Hallo, Ich bin Mariana. That's German.  
>Bonjour, Je m'appelle Mariana. That's French.''<br>''Alright kids, go do your homework or something.'' Stef says and everyone leaves the room. I stare at my glass of water. I know what was coming and I know I had to start my first day with lying.  
>''How come you speak all those languages?'' Stef asks.<br>I grew up with English and French and in France we also learnt German at school. Dutch I learnt from a girl I met a while back.''  
>''Would you like to tell us your story?'' Lena asks.<br>''There's not much to tell. My mom left me after birth with my dad and sister. My dad killed my sister and then himself. I lived on the streets for two years before I got put in the system.'' I said. I was glad they didn't ask about the years I spent living on the streets. I see they are kind of shocked by my life. It's been so long ago I forgot how it may seems for others. I see they don't know anything to say.  
>''Can I use the bathroom?'' I ask. I don't need to go but I just need a moment to myself.<br>''Yeah it's right around the corner.'' Stef says.  
>I walk in the bathroom and lock the door. I realize my hands are shaking. I pull up my sleeves and splash some water in my face. I feel a bit more calm so I dry off my face and unlock the door. Before I step out I pull down my sleeves so they hide the scars. I walk back in a notice Lena is gone. ''Lena is upstairs with talking to the kids about the rooms.'' Stef says before I can say anything.<br>''I don't mind sleeping on the couch, I can understand if they don't want to give up their rooms.'' I say quickly.  
>''Trust me, after one night on that couch you will reconsider what you just said. It's like you're laying on stones.'' Stef says. I give her a small smile.<br>''Can I help you with anything?'' I ask as soon as I realize she's starting dinner.  
>''No thank you. Why don't you go up and see if they have moved all their stuff yet.'' Stef says. I walk towards the stairs when I turn around. Stef is already facing the stove.<br>''Thank you.'' I say and I walk out, not waiting for a reply.

When I get upstairs I see Lena. Before I can say anything I see Mariana coming towards me.  
>''You're gonna be sleeping with me.'' She says and she drags me towards a room. I see a few things still laying around what's Callie's but she comes and takes them. Lena comes in.<br>''Ashley, you're with Mariana, Jesus is with Brandon and Callie and Jude are in a room too. Why don't you get your stuff and you can get settled before dinner?'' Lena says.  
>''Okay.'' I reply, a bit overwhelmed. Once I'm upstairs again with my suitcase I open it. I take out a picture frame with a lot of pictures in it and put it on my night stand. I also take out a pen and writing book. I put in my earphones and start writing. I don't realize Mariana has left for diner. I don't hear Stef come in either. She touches my shoulder, in a reflex I get her hand and my other hand is about to go up to her head when she gets it. I take out my earphones and she looks at my shocked.<br>''I'm so sorry. It's a reflex. I'm so sorry." I apologize. I can already feel what she's thinking. What have a been through to get such a reflex. I hope she will not ask about it.  
>"Let's get to diner." She says and she gives me a smile. She's touching her wrist and I can already see a bruise coming from where I held her.<br>"I'm sorry." I say once again. She holds out her hand and I place mine in it. Together we go downstairs.  
>After diner I change in some workout clothes and ask if I can go for a run.<br>"Sure, can I tag along?" Stef asks me. I didn't want to say no so I nodded.  
>At 7 we left, we ran for about 30 when Stef started walking.<br>"Aren't you tired yet?" She asks me, catching her breath.  
>"Not really." I admit.<br>"Where did you get a condition like that."  
>"Training I guess." After 5 minutes of walking we started running again. Half an hour later we walked again for 5 minutes and I was getting a bit tired now too. "How are you not dying yet." Stef jokes.<br>"Running is my thing." I say and I start running again. At 8:30 we were home.

"I'm going to shower, is that okay?" I ask.  
>"Yes, sure, go ahead." Stef says and she walks toward the kitchen.<br>Later that night I came down and everyone was in the living room watching TV.  
>"Come sit with us." Stef says and she makes a place between her and Lena. I could feel the both of them looking at me once every once in a while.<br>The phone rings and Lena stands up to answer it.  
>"Who even calls at this time." She says. A little later she comes back.<br>"Ashley" She says and I look up. "It's for you. Someone named Steve McCarthy?" She looks at me for an explanation. I ignore her look and take the phone.  
>"Ashley." I say as I walk into the kitchen.<br>"Ashley it's detective McCarthy. We need your help again. Emilio's organisation is still going. We found a way to get to him but we need your help to do it. I know I said it was done but we need you."  
>"He thinks he sold me to you so you want him to buy me back."<br>"Yes, we need you there for a few days. We need to know where everyone is and how many people we are dealing with."  
>"I-I just found a home. They don't know about this. I will do it, but only if I can tell them."<br>"Ashley, they might compromise this whole operation."  
>"They won't, I promise. I want to tell them. Otherwise you can find someone else."<br>"Okay. But only the parents, no one else."  
>"Thank you."<br>"Goodbye, and Ashley you deserve a home. I hope this is a good one."  
>"Me too." with that I hang up the phone. How am I going to tell them? Would they still want me once they hear it?<br>"You okay?" I hear behind me. It's Mariana.  
>"Yeah, I'm good." I say.<br>"Goodnight." She says.  
>"night." I say. I need to clear my head so I go to the back porch. I sit on the ground and look up to the sky. I hear Stef and Lena coming outside. I assume everyone has gone to bed. They sit down next to me and look up too.<p>

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><p><strong>An: I don't really do cliffhangers. I've writen this story for a friend of mine and I thought I might as well post it online. I have one more chapter after this. I hope you like it. Review if you did and I'm open for all and any idea's just tell me and I'll write it! x**


	2. I have a home

"Are you okay?" Lena asks.  
>"I'm fine." I says, same question same lie every time.<br>"What's going on in that pretty head of yours?" Stef asks and I can feel her looking at me. I don't know what to say. So I decide to just blurt it out.  
>"I was involved in human trafficking and prostitution." I say. Both Lena and Stef look shocked.<br>"You're save now love." Stef says and she put her arm around my shoulder.  
>"Do you want to talk about it?" Lena asks.<br>"When I lived on the streets for 2 years and at that time I got into it. After I got bought many times there was a man that bought me. Once he got me, he said he was LAPD. He was. He got me out and asked me if I wanted to go back in. I didn't have any family or anyone that would miss mee so he trained me and I went back in. I helped them get the organisation, well most of it. Emilio, the boss of the organisation, escaped. Steve just told me Emilio has a new organisation. Since Emilio doesn't know I helped the LAPD." Before I could say anything else Stef interrupted.  
>"No, no. I do not like where this is going. You're not going back in." She says.<br>"I am, I'm going back in 2 days. They are gonna sell me back. I just have to look at how many people we are dealing with. They will catch them. I- I get it if you don't want me anymore. I'll leave if you want me to." I say quickly. Lena was sitting with her hands massaging her temple and Stef looked shocked.  
>"We're not sending you back, but you can't do this. It's dangerous." Stef says.<br>"I'm going to do this." I say more confident than I feel.  
>Lena turns me around and give me a hug. I'm kind of surprised but then I relax. It's nice having people care about you. I put my hands around her and burry my face in her neck.<p>

The next morning I wake up around 6am and go downstairs to get something to drink since I can't sleep anyways. Tomorrow I'd go back. I sit down at the kitchen table staring into space when Stef walks in. "Good morning." She says with sleepy head.  
>"I'm sorry did I wake you?" I ask guilty.<br>"No I can't sleep, I was already awake. I called in a favor last night. They put me on your case, only if you want to of course." Stef says.  
>"Sure." I say and I give her a smile.<br>"Can you hand me an apple? I'm starving." she asks me. I get an apple and give it to her. My sleeve pulls up and my scars show. Stef gets my arm and gently runs her fingertips over them. Tears form in my eyes but I blink them away quickly. Stef looks up to me.  
>I pull back my arm and look outside. I don't want to tell her, I don't want her to think I'm weak or damaged. She comes towards me and places her hands on my shoulders from behind.<br>'You don't owe anyone, you don't have to do this.' she says. I know she's talking about tomorrow and the organisation. I don't reply. She leaves the room and goes back upstairs. I follow a moment later. Apparently I fell asleep again. At 9 am Mariana wakes up and since I'm a light sleeper, so do I.  
>'Good morning.' I say.<br>'Good morning.' she says and she opens her closet. 'I have nothing to wear.' she complains. I look at her closet. It's filled with clothes. In the end she takes out a jeans with a blouse and she leaves to change. I roll myself out of bed and get the first clothes I can see. Not caring so much like Mariana. When I get back she's painting her nails. 'Can I do yours too?' she asks excited. 'Sure' I say. I sit down on her bed. She paints my nails a dark red color. 'How long is your hair?' She asks. I look at her a bit confused. 'Since you got here, you've been wearing a bun.' She explains. 'About.. This length.' I say. I say and I point to where it comes. 'I want that too,' she says. 'How long did it take?' before I can answer we're called downstairs for breakfast.

'Any plans for today?' Lena asks. 'working on some songs I think.' Brandon says.  
>'Jude and I are going to the beach.' Callie says. Since the rest doesn't say anything I assume they don't have plans.<br>After breakfast they all go. So I follow and go upstairs. 'Does Brandon make songs?' I ask Mariana who is flipping through magazines. 'Yeah he has a band. If you go to the garage you can check him out.' She says. I go downstairs and go to the garage. He's playing a song. When he is done he looks up. 'Sorry, I just wanted to hear you. Mariana said you're in a band so.' 'it's okay, do you play?' He asks.  
>'A bit.' I say. He stands up so I can sit down. I start playing a song I know.<br>'That's good.' he says when I'm done. I spend the morning making music with him until lunch. We all sit down to the kitchen table.  
>'Did I hear you play?' lena asks me. She's talking about the piano.<br>'Yeah.'  
>'She's pretty good.' Brandon says. The whole afternoon I spend in my room with Mariana. She's telling me stories about people I don't know but I'm guessing go to school with her. After diner Lena asks me to stay. The three of us sit down.<br>'You don't have to do this. I know you want to but you can say no.'  
>'I'm doing it.'<br>'Okay, I'll be right here when you get back.' she says and she squeezes my hand. With that she leaves the room.  
>The next morning everyone is gone to school when I wake up. I decide to dress up for it already. I put on some underwear which hardly covered it up. I take out a red dress with sparkles which is way too short, I steal some makeup from Mariana and I take my high heels. Then I put down my hair and brush it. I don't know why I kept the outfit but I'm glad I did. Otherwise I would have to borrow something. I walk downstairs and into the kitchen. Stef looks up. 'Can you zip me up?' I ask since I couldn't get it. Stef zips me all the way up and then turns me around. She takes my head in between her hands and says. 'It will be okay. I will get you out.' She assures me. I give her a smile and start breakfast as she walks upstairs to get changed. When I'm done she comes back down. Together we go to the precinct. Steve McCarthy and his team have set up everything in a room.<br>'Ashley, hi'  
>'Hi' I say back.<br>'I'm Steve' He says to Stef.  
>'Stef.' She says and she shakes his hand.<br>'let's get right into it. Here's the earpiece.' he says and I put it in my ear.  
>'Here's the microphone.' he gives me an ankle bracelet and I put that on as well. Stef asks why it's an ankle bracelet. I tell her because it's one of the only pieces of jewlery I can keep once I'm in. He explains what were gonna do and how. When it's done a woman starts messing up my hair and making it look like I have been with him for a few years.<br>I say bye to Stef and Steve drives me to a parking lot.  
>'Ready?'<br>'Yeah.' I say and I get out. I don't have to fake being scared. That feeling was genuine. Steve grabs me by my arm. I know he had to do it to make it seem real. He gets a briefcase and Emilio gets me. There was no turning back now. He puts me in the back of the van and drives off. When we stop he forces me out. We walking into a building and I see some girls on the ground in cages.  
>He puts me in a cage with 2 others.<br>'Ashley?' I hear a voice behind me.  
>'Kim?' I hug her tightly. 'How long have you been here?'<br>'I never left. What about you. We didn't see you so we thought you were dead.' .  
>'Still alive.' I say.<br>She then notices the ankle bracelet. Before she can say anything a man comes and takes the other girl with her.  
>'Are you in for them again?' She asks as she nods to the bracelet.<br>'Yeah.' I admit.  
>'Can I help?'<br>'How many girls are there?'  
>'About 90 I think. There are 50 on the ground floor and 30 in the basement.' She says.<br>'What about men?'  
>'Wednesday is the best day. Everyone is here at 9am because they change swifts.'<br>'We will make a plan for Wednesday. Hang in there.' I hear Steve say in my ear.  
>The rest of the day is quiet. No one came for any of us. In the evening they shove some food in our cage. I see Kim is hungry and until now had to share her food. 'Take it' I say. She looks at me thankfully.<br>The next morning they wake us and tell us to get ready for the day. 15 of us are taken upstairs. We stand in a line. 10 men come walking towards us. They look at us, touch us and choose one of us. They choose Kim but not me. The 5 of us who didn't get chosen went back to our cage. Once I knew the men were gone, I asked Steve for an update.  
>'Ashley? They're not here. They will be back in 5.' I hear Stef say in my ear.<br>'have you been here all night?' I ask her.  
>'almost. I went home around 4 am and got back at 7. Steve's coming.'<br>'Are you okay?' I hear Steve ask.  
>'I'm fine.' I whisper.<br>'tomorrow at 9 we will surround and move in. We'll take the ground floor first. Then the basement. After that we will move up to the second floor. Tell us your position every time you move. Okay?'  
>'Okay.' I say.<br>Around dinner Kim comes back. I hug her tightly and we sit in silence together. Later on I tell her the plan.  
>The next morning they wake us at 7am. A muscular man comes towards me and I follow him upstairs. He locks the door and orders me to sit on the bed. He gets some rope and ties me to the bed frame. He walks into the bathroom and turns on the shower. I bring my feet up to my head as far as possible and say. 'I'm on the second floor.'<br>'Got it. We're right outside the building' I hear Stef say in my ear.  
>The man comes back. He is still wet and naked. He walks over to me. He places his hand on my cheek. He gets a scarf and puts it in my mouth. He then places a piece of duct tape over it. He runs his hands down my body and pulls up my dress. I try to get away but that is rewarded with a blow in my face.<br>'Just hang in there love, we're coming in right now.' I hear Stef say in my ear. _A few more minutes. I could handle that._ I thought. I could hear them coming up but the man on top of me didn't. 'Ashley focus on my voice.' Stef says in my ear. He keeeps going and starts licking my body. 'I know it's hard but hang in there. I'll be right there love.' Stef says. I try to free my hands but it would take some time. Just when he is about to fully undress me the door swings open. Stef comes in and orders the man on his knees. When she wants to cuff him he turns around and she hits the ground. I almost freed my hands. Stef gets up but the man kicks her in the ribs and she falls back down. I free my hands, get the gag out of my mouth and pull my dress down. I walk to the man and he doesn't see me. I get Stef's gun and when he was about to hit Stef again I hit him on his head with the back of the gun. He falls down and I walk over to Stef.  
>''Are you okay?'' I ask.<br>''Yeah I'm fine.'' She says as she stands up. Her face shows that she is in pain but I decide not to say anything. Steve comes in.  
>''We're clear. You okay?'' He asks us.<br>''I'm good.'' I say. Together we walk out. I see Kim standing outside talking to one of the officers.  
>''Thank you.'' She says when she hugs me.<br>''I'm glad you're safe.'' I say.  
>Stef and I had to give our statements and we both got check out my paramedics. After that we went home.<br>''I'm sorry.'' I say as we pull up to the driveway.  
>''You have nothing to be sorry for.'' Stef says.<br>''You got hurt because of me.''  
>''I'll be fine.''Staf starts. ''This was not your fault alright? You did good in there.'' She continues when she sees I do not believe her.<p>

Once we're inside all the kids are in the kitchen with Lena. I realize it is already 4am.  
>''Are you okay?'' Lena asks worried as she give me a hug.<br>''I'm fine.'' I say and I sit down next to Jesus and Jude. ''Just exhausted.''  
>''I'm going to take a shower.'' Stef says. She give Lena a kiss and walks upstairs. The kids follow her.<br>''You can talk about it if you want.'' Lena says as she places a glass of water in front me.  
>''Nothing really happened. They took me to a building and locked me up until today. This morning I got chosen by a man and I followed him up to a room. Nothing happened. Really.'' I try to assure her.<br>''Honey did he rape you?'' Lena asks quiet.  
>''No, Stef came in before he could do anything.''<br>''Did he hurt you?'' Lena asks nodding to my head.  
>''He just hit me once, it's nothing. I swear.''<br>Stef came back down. ''Jesus and Mariana are fighting again. Could you go up? I really can't deal with them now. I'm too tired.'' She asks Lena. Lena leaves and Stef turns towards me.  
>''You were amazing today.'' She says<br>''Thank you. For coming in time.'' I say. Tears fill my eyes.  
>''Come here.'' She says and she hugs me. Tears leave my eyes and I break down.<br>''It's okay, you're safe.'' She whispers. I realize I finally have people that genuinely care about me. I finally have a home.

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><p><strong>An:** **I'm sorry if for the typos, obviously English is not my first language but I'll try my best. If you have any other idea's for stories, feel free to share them. I hope you liked this story! x**


	3. I leave my home

After a few weeks I was settled in with Lena and Stef. We had put it all behind us and moved forward but I still didn't feel save. I feel someone watching me, every time I go outside. I feel like I'm being followed but when I turn around, no one is there. Today it all came crashing down. I got a letter.

_We know it was you, you're a dead_ _girl._

I was pretty sure it was from one of Emilio's men. I knew I was right, I knew he had hired someone to kill me. I had to think of a plan

''Who was it from?'' Lena asks. I look at her confused.

''The letter.'' She says.

''Oh, it was from Steve.'' I lie. We all sat down for diner and started eating. I barely touched my food. I couldn't stop thinking about the letter.

''You okay?'' Mariana asks me.

''Yeah I'm good. Just not really hungry.'' I say and decide I should eat at least something.

The next day Lena told me there was another letter for me. I knew who sent it.

_Darling, I will see you soon._

It has pictures of me inside the envelope. They had been taken when I walked around at school, in the mall and even in the house.

''From Steve again?'' Lena asks

''Yeah.'' I lie. I go upstairs and think of a plan. I can't tell Stef and Lena they might get hurt. He knows where we live. I can't tell the police because he will know that too. I could only think of one thing to do: run.

That night we all eat diner together.

''We have a surprise.'' Stef says and she looks at Lena. Together they walk to Callie.

''Robert finally signed the adoption papers.'' They both say excited. Everyone freaks out and starts talking through each other.

''We have an appointment in court on Wednesday.'' Lena says.

''Really?'' Callie says happily then turns and she hugs her moms.

I realize they will be gone Wednesday, so if I wanted to do something I'd have to do it then. Monday was in 2 days so I made a plan that night. I'd grab some money from my account tomorrow, pack a few things I hope they will not notice. Then I will make a plan on where I'm going. Wednesday I'd pack the rest and leave.

* * *

><p>It was finally Wednesday. I had my money ready and my bag is ready to be packed but then Stef came to me after breakfast.<p>

''Would you like to come to court with us?'' She asks.  
>Why did she have to be so sweet. I can't say no but I have to.<p>

''Is it okay if I stay here?'' I ask.

''Sure, we'll be back in 3 hours.'' Stef says and with that they all leave.

Once I'm sure they're gone I rush upstairs. I leave my suitcase and only pack the important things in my black weekend bag. I grab my passport from Stef and Lena's room and walk to the kitchen. I grab two water bottles and put them in my bag as well.

I stand in the kitchen, doubting if I should leave a note with an explanation. I decide to leave the letters and pictures behind on the kitchen table. I walk out the door towards the nearest bus stop. I get the first bus and stare out the window.

I decide to go to the people I met when I lived on the streets before. I walked to our usual spot and saw no one. I sat down on the bench and thought of what I would do next.

''Princess, long time no see.'' I hear behind me. I forgot that's what they used to call me.

''Nickey, hi.'' I say as I turn around and give her a hug.

''Where you been at?''

''Long story, where's the rest.''

''Johnny got busted for breaking in. He'll be out in 5 months. Jason and Lucky are back at our spot. C'mon I'll take ya.'' She says and together we walk towards the new spot.

The boys greet me when they see me. They've always seen me as their little sister and have been protective over me.

''So Princess, what have you been up to? It's been a few years.'' Lucky says.

I tell them how I got in contact with Emilio, he I got out and how I met Stef and Lena. I tell them I went back in and about the letters.

''Ain't nobody gonna touch you when I'm alive.'' Jason says and I smile.

''I've missed you guys.'' I say.

''How was that family you where at?'' Nickey asks curious.

''They where nice. They already had 5 children. Lena's a vice principal at school and Stef's a cop.'' I say.

''It's nice to have ya back princess.'' Jason says.

A few days later Lucky comes to me saying he found a letter for me at our spot. I open it.

_Can't hide from us 'Princess'._

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><p><strong>A****n: ****SlugaBug Foster** **gave me this idea. You should check out her account and stories! Today school starts too. I'm writing during classes but I probably won't be able to update as fast as the last chapter. x**


	4. I don't have a home

I wanted to show the letter to the rest but only Lucky and Jason are here. Before I could ask where Nickey is she walks in.

''There was a blonde cop asking for you out on the streets.'' She says a bit out of breath like she had been running.

''That's Stef.'' I say surprised.

''I told her I haven't seen you but the others around here have and they ain't gonna lie for you.''

''I have to get out of here.'' I say and I look around for my stuff.

''Then we come with you.'' Jason says

''Yes, we're not letting you go on your own.'' Lucky adds.

''You really don't have to.'' I say.

''That's what friends are for.'' Nickey says and she puts an arm around me.

We all grab our stuff. We're about to leave when we hear multiple footsteps coming from both sides.

''Ashley?'' I hear Stef say. Jason grabs my arm and drags me towards the nearest door. Nicky and Lucky go to the other exit. When we get to the door we see two men with guns. They shoot at us and we duck behind a container just in time. I hear footsteps behind me and I see Stef with her gun in her hands. She quickly takes a step back as bullets fly her way. She manages to dodge them.

''Police drop the guns.'' Stef screams. Jason and I are both still behind the container. I can feel the adrenaline rushing through my body. The men take a step back as well when Stef starts shooting back.

''You're on your own and there's two of us.'' One of the men screams back and fires another round at Stef.

''Back up is on the way.'' Stef says and she fires at them again. I hear sirens coming and I squeeze Jason's hand. I whisper my plan in his ear and as soon as Stef shoots at the men Jason and I crawl to Stef. Jason runs to the front door.

''Thank you, but don't look for me. I don't want you getting hurt.'' I quickly say to Stef and then run after Jason. I can hear Stef saying my name but I keep going. I can see police cars at the end of the streets. Jason and I run until we see Nickey and Lucky.

''You good?'' Nickey asks us.

''Yeah we're good.'' Jason says catching his breath.

''We have to get out of h-'' I start saying. The next second feels like the world has stop around me. I feel blood spatters on my face and a sharp pain in my shoulder. Lucky falls forward on top of me. The bullet went through his arm into my shoulder. We both get pulled up by Nickey and Jason and we start running. I look behind me and see one of the men running after us, followed by Stef and a few other cops. The pain in my shoulder is unbearable but I keep running. After a while we're pretty sure we lost them and we sit down on the ground.

''You two need to get to a hospital.'' Nickey says as she looks at our wounds.

'''Just fix it up.'' I say as I hand her some things that might help.

''Alright.'' She tries to fix the both of us up. When she's done we all sit for a while. Trying to process what just happened.

''I'm sorry.'' I say to Lucky.

''No worries Princess, I'll be fine.'' He tells me but I can see the pain written on his face. He has lost blood so I give him a bottle of water to drink.

As we wander through the streets I get the letter from my pocket and show them.

''This is what I wanted to show you before all of this happened. I got this today.'' I say.

Jason takes the letter and reads it.

''This is sick. You have to go to the cops.'' Jason tries to convince me. I want to tell him I'm not going to but before I can, I see Lucky passing out in the corner of my eye.

''Lucky!'' Nickey says and she rushes to his side. I take out my phone and decide to call 911. When I hear sirens coming I grab my bag and run away. Nicky and Jason both don't realize it. I don't want to leave Lucky behind but I can't talk to the cops. I walk down the streets and see the sun coming up.

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><p><strong>An: Review if you liked it, I hope you did. I'll try to update asap. x**


	5. I am home again

**A/n: I'm sorry for upload so late but I have really long school hours. Next chapter will hopefully be up this weekend! x**

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><p>I'm walking to nowhere. It's when I reach their street I realize I've been walking toward the 'Fosters' house. I carefully walk to their house and look inside. I see everyone eating at the kitchen table, everyone but Stef. I assume she's not home yet. I just hope she's alright. I get pen and paper from my bag and start writing. I put it in their mailbox and walk away towards the beach. I need to clear my head. I take off my shoes. The sand feels really nice on my feet. I sit down and put my bag underneath my head. I close my eyes for a second and listen to the sound of the waves. It makes me feel peaceful. When I open my eyes I see two men walking on the beach and recognize them from before. I quietly stand up and hide behind the house of the lifeguard on the beach.<p>

"If we don't kill her before tomorrow, he will kill us." I hear one of the men say.

"Maybe we should take that blonde cop and then ask for a trade." The other says. For a second I think about standing up and telling them not to hurt her but then the other starts talking again.

"No, he specifically said no cops. I think that also includes not kidnapping one." I hear him say. I feel relief and stay hidden.

"How do we find her, now you shot Lucky? She ain't gonna visit him in the hospital, she's too smart for that." I manage to keep in a gasp. Lucky was the one that leaked my location? I think. He was the one that got me into human trafficking in the first place? I wonder if Nickey and Jason are in it too.

"Maybe we should pay a visit to that cop tonight." and with that they walk away. I want to stand up but I'm frozen.  
>After 5 minutes I start thinking. I need to warn Stef. I walk back to her house and when no one notices I walk around back. Lena is doing the dishes. I don't see anyone else so I assume they are upstairs.<br>I knock on the window and Lena looks up. I see surprise and relief on her face when she realizes it's me. She opens the door and hugs me tightly.

"Ashley, where have you been we were so worried." She says.

"I'll explain later but where is Stef, I need to know where Stef is."

"She's been looking for you since you left, she said she will come home in 30. Why what's wrong."

"They're going after her to get to me. You need to call her." I say. Lena picks up the phone and dials Stef's number.

"Stef if you hear this call me asap. Ashley is here and she's okay but she says they are after you to get to her. Please call me." Lena says to Stef's voice mail. When she puts down the phone and looks at me she sees my shoulder.

"What happened?" She asks shocked.

"I got shot." I say. I almost forgot about it.

"We need to get you to a hospital."

"No, please can't you just fix it up here, we need to wait for Stef." I say and Lena agrees. She goes upstairs to get her first aid kit. When she comes back down I take off my shirt and she starts on the wound.

"I'm so sorry." I apologize.

"We were so worried, where have you been?" Lena asks as she cleans the wound.

"With some friends." I say. I don't want to tell her yet that I met them on the street and one of them betrayed me.

We hear the front door. Lena drops the medical supplies and stands up to see if it's Stef but I stop her. What if it's not Stef.

"Lena?" I hear Stef's voice and I let Lena go. They meet in the doorway and Lena hugs Stef. When they pull away Stef notices me. When she want to hug me she sees the blood.

''Are you okay?'' She asks me.

''Yeah, Lena was just fixing it up.'' I start. ''but they are after you. The men are after you to hurt me.'' I continue. Before Stef can respond, we hear footsteps coming towards the kitchen.


	6. Home is where the heart is

**A/n: Next chapter will be the last one. I've already been asked to write a new story and someone told me what she'd like it to be about. If you want me to write something, feel free to share! x**

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><p>''Mom? '' We can hear Mariana say. I let out the breath I had been holding.<p>

''In the kitchen.'' Stef says and Mariana walks in. At first she looks shocked but then she just looks confused.

''Long story.'' I say before Lena or Stef can reply.

''Let's go upstairs.'' Lena says. They walk out of the room and Stef get her phone.

''Mike? I know it's late but can you come over? Thanks. Okay bye.'' And she hangs up the phone. She continues on my shoulder where Lena left off. I wince in pain.

''Sorry love but this needs to be clean and since you don't want to go to a hospital right now.'' She says and I look down guilty.

''We were so worried. Why didn't you say anything, we could've helped you.'' She says. I have no idea what to say to her and luckily I don't have to because the doorbell rings. Stef stands up and checks if it's Mike before she opens the door.

''Hey.'' I can hear him say and a while later they walk in. I give him a small smile and he sits down to the kitchen table while Stef finishes up my shoulder.

''Do you want to talk about what happened?'' He asks me. I take a deep breath and tell everything. I also tell them I suspect Lucky being the one that told the men where I was. When I'm done there is a silence. It's broken when Lena walks back in. She smiles at Mike.

''I'll go to the hospital and see if he's still here. You stay here and I'll be back in the morning. We'll figure out a plan.'' Mike says.

''Thank you.'' Stef says and Mike leaves. Lena places a glass of water in front of me and put her hands on my shoulders from behind. We all stay like that for a while. After a few minutes I can feel a tear rolling down my face. Followed by another one a while later. I quickly wipe them away but another one is rolling down again. Lena wraps her arms around me. I turn around and break down in her arms. We stay like that until I pull away.

''I'm sorry.'' I say.

''You have nothing to be sorry for.'' Lena say and she places a kiss on my forehead.

''Let's get you to bed. Mariana is sleeping in Jesus' and Brandon's room.'' Lena says. We walk upstairs and we all go to bed. I change in some PJ pants and a white tank top can't sleep. I keep thinking about everything that happened and the burning pain in my shoulder is keeping me from laying comfortable. Around 3AM I go downstairs and sit on the couch. I must have fallen asleep because the next morning Lena wakes me up.

''Have you been here all night?'' She asks.

''Since 3AM, I couldn't sleep so I went downstairs. I must have fallen asleep on the couch.'' I say and I stretch myself out. Together we sit down on the kitchen table and start breakfast. Soon Stef joins us.

''Good morning. The kids will be down in a few. I told them a bit about what happened. I hope that's okay.'' She asks me.

''Sure.'' I say and a few seconds later Brandon comes in followed by the rest. They sit down and there's an awkward silence. I excuse myself and walk to the bathroom. On my way back I hit my arm on the door handle. When I sit back down Callie looks at me and gasps.

''Your shoulder is bleeding.'' She says and I look at it, my white top has turned red on the top of the wound.

''Let's fix it.'' Stef says and she takes me to the bathroom. She fixes it and gives me a new shirt to wear. When we get back the kids are upstairs and Mike is sitting next to Lena.

''You ready?'' He asks me and I nod. He explains the plan they have. It would take place this afternoon. He tells me they have arrested Lucky. Jason and Nickey weren't involved. I sigh. I just wish this could all be over already.


	7. Love makes a house a home

That morning I was in my room when Mariana came in.

''Are you okay?'' she asks me.

''Yeah fine.'' I say and she sits down on her bed.

''I care about you, you know?'' She says and looks at me.

''Thank you. That means a lot.'' I say and I give her a smile.

''We never finished our conversation on your hair.'' She changes the subject. I let out a laugh.

''How long did it take?'' She asks me as I sit down on her bed.

''A few years.'' I say as I put my hair out of my ponytail and shake my head.

''Can I make something?'' She asks me. I nod and turn around. She starts brushing my hair. After a while Jesus storms in and yell to Mariana in Spanish. I can't understand it but he leaves after a minute.

''What was that about?'' I ask.

''Our mom.'' She says.

''Stef? or Lena?'' I ask.

''Our birth mom.''

''Oh.'' I don't really know what to say

''Spanish sounds beautiful but hard to learn.'' I say. Trying to change the sunject and it tends to work

''It can be hard for some people but I'd love to learn you some time. If you want.''

''Yes that'd be great.''

''Done.'' Mariana says after a while. She takes a picture with her phone and shows me.

''That's really good.'' I say as I feel my hair.

''Mariana, Jesus.'' We hear Lena say from downstairs and Mariana walks down. A while later I hear a voice in the doorway.

''Your hair looks really cool.'' I hear Callie say.

''Thanks Mariana did it.''

''I just want to say I know what you've been through.'' She says as she sits down on my bed.

''I didn't know that. I'm sorry.''

''It's been a while. I'm trying to forget. It will get better'' Callie tells me.

''Did it?'' I ask her. She looks at me confused. ''Did it get better for you?'' I ask.

''Not yet but I'll get there. This family is really helping me.'' She admits.

''That's good.'' I say and we are called down for lunch. The whole time during lunch I avoid eye contact with everyone. I'm not sure why but I just needed a moment to myself. When we're done I ask if they need help with the dishes.

''No love, thank you.'' Stef says so I go upstairs.

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><p>That afternoon I go out the front door and walk towards an industrial area. I put my hands deeper in the pockets of my leather jacket. The cold air is burning in my lungs as I take a deep breath. I know there is a car following me and I keep walking. Once I'm there I go inside towards the roof where Mike is supposed to be. When I'm there he comes towards me and tells me to take cover. A little while later one of the men comes on the roof. Mike arrests him and calls Stef. Stef tells us she is downstairs and has a visual on the second man. When Mike tells her to move in, a gunshot rings through my ears. I feel bloodspatters on my face. I let out a small scream and see the man fall backwards. He has a red dot between his eyes. A milisecond later I feel myself being pushed down by Mike. We stay like that for a while until he thinks it's clear. When we get up Stef comes up on the roof with her gun ready to shoot.<p>

''Where's the other man.'' Mike asks her.

''He got away, I was about to move in when I heard a gunshot.'' Stef says as she checks if the man has a pulse. ''He's dead.'' She says as she looks at me. I can't help but feel a little bit relief. _Two down, one to go_ I think.

**A/n: I know it's been like a week since I updated but I had exams week at school. A this week again so hopefully I'll be able to update soon.**

** I got a few pm's asking me what my name is and where I'm from and stuff so .. My name is Ziva, I'm 16 and I'm from the Netherlands. ****x**


	8. Home is where one starts from

**A/n: I got a pm asking if I could do a chapter about the family and just family stuff. x**

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><p>We don't go home straight away. Stef cleans me up at Mike's house and Mike gives me an oversized t-shirt of his.<p>

''It's evidence, since there's blood on your shirt.'' Stef explains to me. I nod and change into Mike's shirt. After that Stef takes me home. She calls Lena from Mike's home and Lena says she will wait with dinner until we're back. We get into the car and drive home. My phone goes off and I see it's a text from my aunt who lives in Boston.

_I hope you're okay tomorrow. We're all thinking about you._

I look at the date and my hand goes to my sister's necklace that I'm always wearing.

''You okay?'' Stef asks me, her eyes still focused on the road.

''Yes, it's just, nevermind.'' I say. She's already done so much for me, I don't want to bother her with anything else.

''You know you can tell me anything right?'' She assures me

''Tomorrow would have been my sister's 19th birthday.'' I say and I look out the window. I feel Stef's hand on my leg. We both don't say anything and Stef drives home. When we're home we walk into the kitchen. Everyone is already sitting down. I sit down next to Callie and she turns to me.

''Everything okay?'' She asks me.

''Yes, everything is fine.'' I smile at her. We eat dinner together and everyone tells about their day. After dinner Mariana drags me upstairs. She tells me we're having a girls night. Callie and Mariana are both sitting on Mariana's bed while I change into some sweatpants. We talk for a while and Callie does my hair while I do Mariana's. After a while Mariana jumps up, I wrapped the elastic around her hair just in time otherwise I would have to start all over again.

''I bought something for mom's birthday.'' Mariana says.

''Wait it's Lena's birthday tomorrow?'' I ask a bit confused.

''No Stef's, what did you get?'' Callie asks. Mariana drops to her knees and takes a picture frame from underneath her bed. There are all kinds of pictures in it, from Stef with Lena, the kids, Mariana with Lena and many more. There's one picture frame that doesn't have a picture.

''There's one missing.'' I say and I point at it.

''Well I want to take a picture from the three of us with my polaroid camera and put that in it.'' Mariana says as she gets the camera. We take a picture together and Mariana puts that in the empty spot.

''My present is with Jesus, we made this together.'' Mariana says.

''Callie what did you get?'' I asks curious.

''I already wrapped it,'' Callie admits, ''but it's a pillow with my favourite quote written on it.'' she continues.

''Do you have a picture?'' I ask. Callie nods and takes out her phone to show the picture. Mariana hides her present again and a few minutes later Lena walks in.

''Girls night's over, time to sleep.'' She says as she walks into the room.

''Did you get mom anything?'' Mariana asks.

''Of course I did.'' Lena says mysterious.

''What is it?'' Mariana asks curious.

''You'll see tomorrow.'' Lena says teasing and she walks out.

I feel bad I don't have a present yet but then something comes to my mind. I think of the perfect present for Stef. Mariana, Callie and I have a little party in the bathroom while brushing our teeth and then we all go to bed.  
>The next morning I wake up with mixed feelings. It's 6am and we don't have to get up for school for another hour but I decide to go downstairs anyways. I sit down to the kitchen table and bow my head. I clap my hands together and look up.<p>

"Happy birthday Jo, I hope you're celebrating up there. I'll be thinking of you today. I love y-." I whisper softly. Lena walks in and I stop talking.

"Sorry." she apologises.

"Don't be." I tell her

''I'll leave you to it.'' She says and she wants to walk out.

''Stay, I was done anyways.'' I say and Lena sits down next to me.

''I didn't know you pray.'' She says.

''I don't but I'd like to believe Jo hears what I tell her.''

''Who's Jo?''

''My sister. Her 19th birthday was supposed to be today.'' Lena wraps her arms around me and places a kiss on my head.

"Congratulations with Stef." I say to change the subject.

''Thank you baby.'' she walks upstairs again. I follow a few minutes later and sit on my bed listening to some music.

At 7am we all go downstairs. Lena made breakfast for everyone and takes it upstairs. We all go upstairs and sing happy birthday to Stef. Then we eat on their bed while we all give her a present. Jude gives her something he made at school. Brandon says she'll find out her present this afternoon. Mariana told me last night he wrote a song for her. Callie gives her present. Stef opens it and reads the quote and smiles. Jesus and Mariana then give their present. Stef opens it and her eyes widen. A big smile appears on her face.

''It's beautiful.'' Stef says. Then it's Lena's turn. She gives Stef a card. Stef looks at her confused.

''Open it.'' Lena says excited. Stef opens it.

''No, this is too expensive.'' Stef says.

''I saved some money for the last months and you deserve it.'' Lena says. She got Stef a weekend away, just the two of them.

''And I got my mom to watch the kids so we don't get home to a house from where the glass falls out of the wall as soon as we close the door.'' Lena says and she looks at the kids.

''Thank you babies.'' Stef says.

''Eh care for one more present?'' I ask her. Stef looks at me surprised.

''Because you've helped me so much.'' I say and I give her a little box. She opens it and looks at me. She takes out my sister's necklace.

''It's always given me strength, hope and faith.'' I tel her.

''I don't know what to say.'' Stef says and she gets up. She walks to the end of the bed where I'm sitting and hugs me.


End file.
